Jeep Cherokee: Reliable and Versatile 4X4 Vehicle

The Jeep Cherokee is a very popular SUV with great off road capabilities. It is a terrain vehicle that is being manufactured by the company for the last 42 years. It is hard to believe but the first Cherokee rolled out from the factory of Jeep in 1974 as a downsized version of company’s earlier SUV called the Wagoneer. Even though it was basically the same car, it was smaller in size and was introduced as a 2 door vehicle. The vehicle was lapped up by the people who wanted a cheaper substitute for the Wagoneer. Cherokee was cheaper but it provided the power and the thrill to the owners with its off road capabilities.

So good was the response that Jeep received from the consumers, that it not only increased the production of the Cherokee but also introduced changes with each passing year to add new models of the Cherokee. The Cherokee family became bigger and bigger and ultimately became complete with the inclusion of the Grand Cherokee in the year 2000.

When The Jeep Cherokee first saw the light of the day, it drew huge applause from the customers as they could now buy a compact SUV that looked tough and it could cover all terrains. The Cherokee instilled confidence in the owners that they could use it in different terrains and it responded well by taking the pressure. Because of its thrilling ride and comfort, The Cherokee soon became the most popular vehicle produced by Jeep, with a fan following that spread not just across America but also Europe and later into Asian and African countries. It is really surprising that in a time when other companies have come up with newer SUVs with great off road capabilities, the Cherokee continues to command respect and a huge fan following around the world. One reason behind this craze and popularity lies in power and practicality. The owner of this 4X4 vehicle can use this car in city driving conditions and get the same powerful feeling that he gets when he drives this SUV on different terrains. It is not only the power and mileage but also many other accessories fitted in Cherokee that make it a very sensible and practical vehicle.

During the 80’s, most car manufacturers across the country downsized their vehicles in response to the demands of their customers. The Cherokee was no exception and the company a model in the year 1984 that was hard to be accepted as a Cherokee. Not only did the new Cherokee have 7 inch shorter wheelbase, it was also 21 inches shorter in length than the earlier models of the Cherokee. The new Cherokee was lightweight and zippy. It was lighter by 1000 pounds which also made it more fuel efficient than earlier models of Cherokee. Owners were happy with mileage and they said the car could also be easily maneuvered as it was lightweight and zippy. The tremendous success of this new model of Cherokee made Jeep a leader in the segment of 4X4 vehicles.

The very next year in 1985, Jeep went a step ahead and introduced another trimmed version of the Cherokee. It was called the Laredo and it was lapped up by the customers who desired a little bit of luxury from their Cherokee. The Laredo boasted chrome grille, alloy wheels, and had plush interiors to make it the most impressive looking Cherokee ever. Later, Jeep also included passenger assist handles and front headrest to make the Cherokee even more splendid SUV for the owners. The company also added the option of 2 wheeled drive for its customers who did not need the off road capabilities of a 4X4 vehicle. The Cherokee was made complete for the loyal customers when Jeep added the feature of keyless entry to this SUV. A turbo diesel engine sourced from Renault provided the much needed boost to the power of Cherokee.

Today there are many options for a buyer when he goes to the market in search of Jeep Cherokee. In fact, the Jeep Cherokee family has so many different cars that there is a price difference of nearly $5000 between the top model and the entry level model. The Grand Cherokee is of course the highest model in this series of vehicles form Jeep.